Mercedes Benz

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

Stuttgart/Brackley, Germany/United Kingdom, Sep 03, 2010

The Italian Grand Prix, the final European race of the 2010 World Championship, takes place at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza on Sunday 12 September. One of the most atmospheric venues on the calendar, the original Monza circuit was built in 1922 and today the 5.793km track is the fastest of the year with four long straights enabling the cars reaching top speeds of up to 340kph.


NICO ROSBERG
“Monza is absolutely one of the top race tracks in the world. Not only for the speed and the challenge but also for the passion and enthusiasm of the Italian fans who really love their racing. There is always a special feeling about the Monza weekend and I love racing there. We made a good recovery from a difficult start to the weekend in Spa and it was nice to come away with some points. Monza is a completely different type of track but we will hope for an equally good weekend there.”

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER
“Spa was quite an entertaining race weekend which I like to look back on as we achieved a reasonable result considering the circumstances. The next race in Monza might well be entertaining in a very different way as I expect it to be a real challenge for our team. We have seen already several times this year that circuits with characteristics like those of Monza do not really play in our hands. Of course, we will go there prepared to try hard to achieve the maximum we can from our package and we will see to what extent we can achieve that and fight our way through. On a personal level, I am very much looking forward to returning to Monza where I have been supported so warmly over so many years.”

ROSS BRAWN
“The double points finish in Spa was a boost for the team and it would be rewarding to repeat the achievement at the final European race of the season in Monza next weekend. Monza is simply a fantastic racing venue and one of the highlights of the calendar. The grandstands are always packed and the fans create a wonderful atmosphere over the weekend. From an engineering perspective, aerodynamic efficiency with a low downforce package is fundamental to minimise drag, along with good brakes and traction plus a powerful engine to achieve the necessary high top speeds on the long straights. We are all looking forward to the weekend.”

NORBERT HAUG
“Monza is definitely a ‘one of a kind’ circuit on the calendar. The unique high-speed nature of this classic track differentiates Monza from any other circuit and of course it is very special as the home race for our highly valued competitors Ferrari who have competed in the World Championship for longer than any other team. As always, we will run with a special aerodynamic configuration in Monza to suit the requirements of this high-speed circuit and hope to achieve a respectable result next weekend in Italy.”

* Official info courtesy of MERCEDES GP PETRONAS *

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